


Sleep Forever

by lamarina



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Diners, First Meetings, M/M, idk where this idea came from
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 07:55:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11286960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lamarina/pseuds/lamarina
Summary: Hello! This is a birthday gift for my friend. I love Infinite and I don't think they get the attention they deserve. I'd like to write more fics of them in the future. Enjoy~





	Sleep Forever

**Author's Note:**

  * For [warmgun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/warmgun/gifts).



> Hello! This is a birthday gift for my friend. I love Infinite and I don't think they get the attention they deserve. I'd like to write more fics of them in the future. Enjoy~

Lee Sungyeol was tired. Literally, figuratively, physically, mentally. In about every single way a person could be tired, Sungyeol was.

The insomnia had begun about a month ago. Around the time, Sungyeol had switched shifts at his job at the 24-hour convenience store at the edge of his neighbourhood. Going from working from the middle of the day until the mid-evening to working from the middle of the night until the early morning had forced Sungyeol’s internal clock to reset, and it hadn’t quite worked itself out yet.

So, going into work at 10 PM and getting off work at nearly 5 AM was something that Sungyeol was still getting used to.

Like right now.

It was half past 4 in the morning when Sungyeol finished his shift—which began at 9—and clocked out. He walked to his car and slumped over onto the steering wheel for a few minutes before even putting the key into the ignition.

Sungyeol was so tired.

He turned the key in the ignition and the radio immediately kicked to life and started playing a recent hit from a girl group Sungyeol wasn’t familiar with. Not in the mood, running on approximately 4 hours of sleep before his shift, Sungyeol reached for the volume knob on the radio and turned it all the way down before shifting into reverse and leaving the parking lot of the store.

There generally wasn't much traffic in Sungyeol’s neighbourhood when his shifts ended, so fortunately the drive back to his apartment usually didn’t take very long. However, on this particular night, Sungyeol didn’t feel very much like going home only to lay restless and awake in bed for several hours before finally getting to sleep. Making a last minute decision, Sungyeol turned his car left and ended up at one of his favourite places, which was a small, western style diner that he used to go to once or twice a month for dinner before he switched to this current shift schedule.

Sungyeol parked in a spot near the doors of the restaurant. There were scarcely any other cars in the lot, but what else would someone expect at 5 AM at a tiny diner in Sungyeol’s less-than-amazing neighbourhood? (It was alright. He liked it. Rent was cheap.)

A bell on top of the doors jingled as Sungyeol pushed them open and walked inside. As expected, the restaurant was nearly empty. A bored-looking (or perhaps she was just as tired as Sungyeol was?) hostess got up from her station to greet him, seemingly perking up at a sign of life.

“Hello,” she said. She passed Sungyeol a small laminated menu. “Please, go ahead and seat yourself.”

“Wow. How will I ever find a place to sit?” Sungyeol joked, smiling at the hostess.

The hostess grinned stiffly. “Please take a seat.”

“Tough crowd, I see,” Sungyeol mumbled as he chose a spot near the corner of the diner, in a place so that he could see the door and observe anyone else coming in (unlikely). The cheap leather of the seat creaked when Sungyeol sat down.

Sungyeol really did like this place, though it was usually better during the day.

x

Nam Woohyun was tired. He’d been up late for what was probably the third night in a row finishing—finally, finally he was finished—the thesis for his degree.

It was not late at night, but rather, extremely early in the morning by the time Woohyun finished, and instead of immediately passing out like a normal person, he decided to go for a walk and find a place to get food. Being holed up in his apartment for three days straight, he’d been living off of take-out food and he had nothing edible in his kitchen. (He needed to go grocery shopping.) The only time he left his apartment was to stop by a convenience store to buy ramyun and rice a few days ago. But instead of ordering take-out again, or buying instant noodles, he decided to venture outside—he felt restless—and find someplace (hopefully there was something that was open) where he could sit down and eat.

Wandering around the neighborhood a bit aimlessly, Woohyun eventually found an open restaurant on the edge of the neighbourhood. It looked like a western-style (American, to specific) diner that was probably open 24 hours a day.

This would work.

Woohyun was greeted by a half-asleep girl at the hostess stand. She looked up when she noticed Woohyun walking inside and tried to look alive, but she didn’t quite succeed.

“Hello,” she said, passing a laminated menu to Woohyun. “Please seat yourself.”

Woohyun took the menu and took a glance around the restaurant. It was practically empty, except for the staff and one person sitting in the corner.

Surprised that there was actually someone else here at this godawful hour, and curiosity getting the better of him, Woohyun meandered over to the table where the other person was sitting. All he could see at the moment was a head of dark brown hair from behind the back of the booth chair.

Feeling nosey but also too fucking tired to care, Woohyun approached the table and cleared his throat.

“Hey.”

The guy at the table jumped. “Oh my God,” he said. “I thought you were the hostess.” He examined Woohyun. “Do I know you?”

“I don’t think so, but now that I'm looking at you, don’t you work at the convenience store in the neighbourhood? I think I’ve seen you there before,” Woohyun responded.

“Unfortunately I do. But I only work in the middle of the night...you’ve gone there then?” the guy asked.

“Well, I’m awake right now, aren’t I?”

“True.”

“I’m Woohyun.” He gestured to the bench opposite the guy. “Can I sit?”   


“I mean...sure. I don’t see why not. We’re the only ones here. My name’s Sungyeol.”

x

Sungyeol wasn’t sure what this guy was up to, but he seemed harmless enough. He looked just about as exhausted as Sungyeol was, judging by the purple dark circles under his eyes. From Sungyeol’s vantage point, he seemed kind of short, too; though then again, Sungyeol was also pretty tall compared to most people.

Plus, it was kind of nice—unexpected, for sure—to have someone to talk to after his shift. Since he started working these hours, Sungyeol had little human interaction outside of talking to customers and coworkers, who don’t exactly provide the most scintillating conversations.

Not that he expected this Woohyun guy to dazzle him at this diner at the crack of dawn, but still. He was someone new to talk to.

“So,” Sungyeol prompted.

“So,” Woohyun replied.

“Why on Earth are you at a diner at 5 AM?” Sungyeol had to ask. It was a valid question. Woohyun was the one who sat down and decided to invade Sungyeol’s space (though honestly, did he really mind? No), so he might as well ask.

Woohyun took a sip of the glass of water the hostess had given him. “School,” he said meaningfully. “I’ve been working on my thesis for days now, and I finally finished.” He smiled at Sungyeol. “I’m treating myself.”

Sungyeol raised an eyebrow. “To diner food at the crack of dawn?”   
  
“Absolutely, yes.” Woohyun picked up the menu and started examining it. “So do you know what’s good here?”

“Oh, yes.” Sungyeol got excited. “I love this place. They have great fried chicken and waffles.”   
  
Now it was Woohyun’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Fried chicken...and waffles?”

Sungyeol nodded. “Yes, yes. It’s actually very good.”   
  
Woohyun chuckled. “They eat this in America?”   
  
“I guess so.” Sungyeol shrugged. “I’ve never been. It’s good. It’s like, sweet and savory. Together.”

Just as Woohyun was considering the flavor possibilities of chicken and waffles, the hostess-waitress showed up with a small notepad in her left hand and a pen in her  right. “Ready to order?” She yawned.

Sungyeol slid the menu toward her. “Home fries. And coffee. Lots of coffee.”

The waitress nodded as she wrote down Sungyeol’s order. “And you?” She looked in Woohyun’s direction.   
  
“Chicken and waffles.”

Sungyeol glanced up and caught Woohyun’s eyes. They both smiled.

“Okay.” The waitress put her pen in the pocket of her apron. “These will be ready shortly.” She yawned again as she walked away.

Sungyeol took a long drink of his water. He was suddenly aware that he hadn’t been drinking enough all night. “So, Woohyun, what do you study?”

“Psychology. I just finished my thesis on narcissistic personality disorder.” Woohyun ran his index finger along the rim of his water glass and it made a faint musical note.

“Heavy.”

“I like it.”

“Are you a narcissist?” Sungyeol smiled.

“Hm.” Woohyun looked up. “I don’t think I am. But I’ve been told I can be full of myself. I just think of it as confidence.”

Sungyeol smiled. “Confidence is good.”

Woohyun shook his glass. It was empty and the glass rattled. “So what about you? Besides working all hours of the night selling people like me instant noodles at a convenience store, what do you do?”   
  
“‘M afraid that’s it,” Sungyeol said. “That’s about all I do...oh, look, our food.”

The hostess-waitress showed up with the pair’s food and maneuvered the plates in front of them. “Fried chicken with waffles and home fries and lots of fresh, hot coffee,” she said. “Enjoy.”

Woohyun smiled brightly at the waitress. “Thank you. What’s your name, by the way?”

“Oh.” She blushed a little. “Gayoon.”

“Sorry for troubling you all so early in the morning. We appreciate it,” Woohyun said. “Thanks again.”   
  
“Oh...no problem, at all,” Gayoon said. “Please, enjoy.” She bent slightly and walked away.

“You charmer,” Sungyeol said, laughing a little. “You should have written your thesis on flirting.”

Woohyun laughed. “What can I say? Sometimes, I just can’t help it. Now, let’s eat, shall we?” Woohyun picked up the fork and knife that he was given and examined his food. “How do I go about eating this...individually? Which one do I try first?” He picked up the small bottle of syrup on the table. “Syrup with chicken?”

“It really doesn’t matter. It’s food, Woohyun. It’s not that serious.” Sungyeol took a bite of his food and a drink of coffee.

“Okay, okay.” Woohyun opened the syrup and poured some on his waffles and then took a tentative bite of it followed by chicken. “Oh, you were right. This is good.” He smiled. “Also, why are you drinking coffee? Isn’t that the last thing you should have?”

Sungyeol shrugged. “Fortunately, I have tomorrow—well, technically, today—off. I wouldn’t be getting to sleep for a while anyway, so I might as well have  some coffee.” Sungyeol smiled and took another bite of food. “This is just what I needed.”

“Including my company?” Woohyun asked.

“Mmm. I suppose so.” Sungyeol smiled. “Though I’d rather have met you at almost any other time than 5 o’clock in the morning.”   
  
“Technically…” Woohyun looked at his phone. “It’s 5:27 now.”

“Even worse.”

“I’m flattered.” Woohyun gestured to his food. “This is surprisingly good. I’m actually glad I ordered this. I don’t think I would have tried this if it hadn’t been for you.”

Sungyeol waved his hand. “Please. Now I’m flattered.” He grinned.

“It’s just food, Sungyeol. It’s not that serious.” Woohyun smirked behind his fork.

“Okay, okay.” Sungyeol laughed. “Touché.” At this point, he was nearly finished with his food and was starting to feel the exhaustion really hitting him, even through the coffee. And speaking of coffee…

“I’ve got to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back. Excuse me.” Sungyeol got up, leaving his empty coffee mug and near-empty plate of food behind.

“No rush.” Woohyun leaned back, stretched, then covered his mouth as he yawned. “Take your time.”   
  
Sungyeol gave Woohyun an odd look. “What exactly do you think I’m going to do in the bathroom?”   
  
Woohyun raised his eyebrows. “You tell me.”

Sungyeol laughed. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

x

When Sungyeol returned to the table, Woohyun was resting with his head in his hand. Upon closer inspection, however, Sungyeol realized he wasn’t just resting.

He was completely asleep.

Sungyeol shook his head. “He’s weak.” He walked over to Woohyun’s side and bumped his shoulder. “Woohyun. Hey, Woohyun. Wake up.” Woohyun’s plate was almost clear.

“At least he liked the food.” Sungyeol shook his shoulder again. “Wake up!”

Woohyun’s eyes snapped open and he gasped. “Oh my God. I passed out. I didn’t even realize it.”   
  
Sungyeol snorted. “Of course you didn’t. Come on, let’s pay and then I’ll drive you home.”   
  
“What?” Woohyun stood up and stretched. “It’s fine. I don’t live far from here.”   
  
“That may very well be, but you’re too tired to even be left alone in a restaurant. It’s not out of my way. Come on.”

x

“You didn’t have to pay for my food.”   
  
“I know.” Woohyun hummed. “But I wanted to.”

Sungyeol shook his head as he unlocked his car. “You really are just a huge flirt, aren’t you?”   
  
“You’ll find as you get to know me better that yes, that is a good part of my personality. But it’s not a bad thing, is it?” Woohyun slid into the passenger seat and closed the door behind him. “And you don’t have to drive me home.”   
  
“Yes, I clearly do. I was in the bathroom for maybe 3 minutes and you passed out cold.” Sungyeol buckled his seatbelt and started the car. “Okay, guide me to your place.”

“I just can’t believe you’re not tired. Turn here.”   
  
“Oh, believe me, I’m fucking exhausted. Hey, I live in this direction, too,” Sungyeol said, flipping his right turn signal.

“Really? I like this neighbourhood. Rent is super cheap.”   
  
Sungyeol smiled. “That’s what I always say, too.”

“These apartments right here. On the left.”

“Oh, well these are some of the _nicer_ apartments. How does a student afford these?” Sungyeol smirked.

“You don’t know what I do on the weekends.”

Sungyeol let out a laugh as he navigated the parking lot of the complex. “Which unit?”   
  
“Number 10C. It’s over here…” Woohyun gestured vaguely out Sungyeol’s window. “Just stop here, that’s fine.”   
  
“Okay.” Sungyeol pulled into an empty spot and put his car into park. 

When the car was at a complete stop, Woohyun unbuckled his seatbelt and looked at Sungyeol. He smiled. “This was nice. Surprisingly nice.”

“Surprisingly?”   
  
“I didn’t think anyone else would be weird enough to go to a diner in the middle of the night.”   
  
“Technically, the early morning.”

“Semantics.”   
  
“But I agree.” Sungyeol leaned against his window and covered his mouth as he yawned. “It was nice. I’m glad I decided to get food after my shift instead of going home right away to watch late-night television.”   
  
“You mean early morning television.”

“Yeah, that’s what I mean.” Sungyeol smiled.

“We could do this again sometime, if you’d be up for that.”

“Hm? Get food at 5 AM?”

“Yes and no. Get food, yes. 5 AM, no.”   
  
“Well...that’s when I get off work at the store, but on a day off, sure, we could do that.”

Woohyun smiled. “Besides today, when is your next day off?”

“I’m not sure yet. I’ll have to let you know. Here, give me your phone.”   
  
Woohyun leaned forward a bit and fumbled his phone out of his back pocket and passed it to Sungyeol, who entered his name and number into Woohyun’s contact list. “There,” Sungyeol said, handing his phone back to Woohyun. “Just text me your name so I’ll have your number, too.”

“Okay. I will. Have a good night, Sungyeol.”

“You too, Woohyun.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Sleep Forever](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0teN4CI0KA) by Black Honey


End file.
